Learning apps for Children: The New tale in the Indian EDTech Space

Do you come across situations where your Child feels burdened with a lot of work, and doesn’t seem to find time to enjoy the perks of being a young child? Well, I observed this with my own child. Being a child in this digital world, which is highly competitive in nature, comes with its own array of distractions, be it in the form of visual content or games. That got me thinking if we can integrate learning with elements of gamification; to introduce fun element into the learning experience of a child. On this note, I started and founded Playablo alongside my friends and ex colleagues Ananthkrishnan G and Suchitra Premkumar

PlayAblo founders Ananth G, Suchitra Premkumar and Dheeraj Sharma.

To get right into it, gamification is a methodology that uses video game design and game elements to motivate students to learn in a structured and productive way. These elements can be anything from leader boards to rewards in the form of points and badges.

Let’s take a history lesson, for example. History is all about facts and data, which a student might find boring. He or she might find a history textbook boring after point. There is no learning happening. Now, if you take the same lesson and make a game around it, the results are dramatically improved. It can be something as simple as a point-and-click detective game where the student has to use historical facts to solve a mystery, or something as elaborate as a role-playing game where the student gets to re-enact significant events in history. But in the end, the student has fun playing the game, but is learning in the process.

Gamified learning does not replace the value of a teacher or a mentor, as well as studying along with other students in a class. But it still offers a plethora of benefits. Gamified learning works hand in hand with those to significantly enhance the learning experience. It helps improve the learning outcomes and intrinsic motivation of the child.

Over the last 3 years, there has been a 100% growth in users leveraging the power of mobile for learning. The global impact of gamified learning on K-12 education is staggering. In a study conducted worldwide, here’s what the K-12 teachers had to say:

74% said that gamification and advancements in technology enables them to reinforce and expand on content.

74% said that gamified learning platforms motivate students to learn

73% reported that gamified learning platforms enable them to respond to a variety of learning styles

65% said that gamified learning platforms allow them to demonstrate something they cannot show in any other way

48% use gamified learning platforms for online lesson plans

45% use it to give students access to web-based educational games or activities

The Indian market is now opening its doors to the idea of gamified learning. If you look at the recent statistics –

91% growth in the average time spent by students on mobile devices

73% growth in education app usage by students in tier 2 cities

217% growth in the use of education apps by students.

99% growth in mobile app usage by students in tier 1 and metro cities

32% growth in the number of CBSE students using learning apps

Over 43% growth in the number of ICSE students using learning apps

Even with this potential, the gamified learning industry has it set of challenges and constraints. The number one main constraint is the lack of quality content as well as the high cost of building and maintaining such applications. There are free apps available in the market, but the experience of using such apps is hampered with frequent commercials. Some of these apps are technically brilliant, but there is no report that is shared with the child or the parent that throws significant light on the performance of the child.

Keeping these things in mind, Playablo was launched. Playablo ensures that the students are kept engaged using gamification elements. Playablo also gives them a comprehensive analysis on how they are performing, so that they receive instant feedback.

As of today, Playablo caters to more than 14000 children across 187 cities in India with over 60000 quizzes played. We were pleased to see that there is nearly a 56% improvement in the academic performance of children over a period of time once they start using Playablo. We wish to continue to work on a model that is not only economical, but also makes a pleasant difference in the lives of children who are, after all, the future of our great nation